The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for distributively feeding a plurality of winding bobbins to a predetermined location in a number corresponding to an amount of work to be performed by a slitter for slitting a band-shaped web such as a magnetic tape, a paper, a film or the like, wherein the bobbins are used for winding the tape or the like therearound.
To manufacture a band-shaped web such as a magnetic tape, a paper, a film or the like, it has hitherto been required to perform a slitting step in the course of a series of production steps for the purpose of slitting the band-shaped web, which is normally prepared in the form of a roll in which the web is wound about a core at a width considerably larger than that of the final product, into products of a predetermined width (i.e., the width of the product). The slitting step is practiced by subjecting a large-width band-shaped web to slitting in a slitter as the web is unwound from the roll.
A plurality of winding bobbins, each being used to wind up a band-shaped article such as a magnetic tape, a paper, a film or tape after being slit from a band-shaped web by actuating the slitter, are generally disposed for winding purposes on a pair of upper and lower rotational shafts at equally spaced intervals, i.e., with a predetermined distance between adjacent winding bobbins, so that a plurality of tapes can be wound around the winding bobbins. While the winding bobbins are arranged on the rotational shafts in the standby state, the forward ends of the slit tapes are wound about the winding bobbins. On completion of the winding operation, the tapes wound on the bobbins are conveyed to a next stage, and subsequently new winding bobbins are arranged on the rotational shafts, thus to repeatedly perform a winding operation.
Here, a conventional winding bobbin feeding method will briefly be described below.
After a plurality of winding bobbins are conveyed while in close contact with each other in the transverse direction, they are individually separated from each other and then fed to a predetermined slitting location where they are disposed in an evenly spaced relationship, with a predetermined slitting width between adjacent winding bobbins. Thereafter, a predetermined number of winding bobbins in close contact with one another are sequentially fed to a predetermined location one by one by dropping each winding bobbin in the downward direction with the aid of a feeding device such as a robot, a shooter, or the like.
However, in the case where each winding bobbin is fed to the foregoing location by operation of a robot or the like, there arises a requirement for improving the winding bobbin exchanging operation from the viewpoint of improved productivity, since about twenty minutes are required for exchanging one set of winding bobbins with another, while a shorter period is required for performing a slitting operation of slitting each band-shaped web having a length of several hundred meters into a plurality of tapes.
In practice, employment of a plurality of robots or the like for fitting a plurality of winding bobbins onto a rotational shaft leads to increased production costs and requires much installation space for the robots. In addition, in the case where one set of winding bobbins is exchanged for a new set by actuating a shooter or the like, there arises a problem that a long time is required for achieving each winding bobbin exchanging operation. That is, a problem arises in that an imbalance occurs between the slitting speed and the time required for carrying out each winding bobbin exchanging operation.
To obviate the foregoing problems relating to the winding bobbin exchanging operation, a proposal has been made, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 62-269828, wherein a plurality of rectangular plates each having a predetermined thickness are first set upright on a platform while being placed into close contact with each other. The plates are then simultaneously inclined on the platform until they reach another position while maintaining a close contact state, and thereafter they are stood upright again at the foregoing position where they are separated from one another with a predetermined distance between adjacent plates.
With the proposed method as mentioned above, however, a complicated and costly mechanism is required for practicing the proposed method. In addition, there arises a problem in that the plates are not always uniformly separated from each other due to a difference of resistance against slidable displacement of the plates when the bobbins, which are in close contact with each other, are simultaneously inclined. Other problems are that, among the winding bobbins, two winding bobbins sometimes stick together when inclined without any separation therebetween, and moreover the products on the winding bobbins can be readily damaged by the forward ends of partition plates when they are dropped between the partition plates.
In practice, the proposed method can comparatively easily be executed for rectangular plates, but it is very difficult to employ this method when the bobbins have a circular sectional shape. In addition, the proposed method has a drawback in that it is difficult to displace the plates away from each other with a predetermined distance maintained between adjacent plates while maintaining the foregoing distance during the displacement of the plates.